The Constable's Child
by VioletRose13
Summary: Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel have been together for three years after the Headless Horseman's defeat and then they decide to marry... but then their lives change when they discover they're expecting a child.
1. Intro

It's been three years since the spirit of the Headless Horseman left the village of Sleepy Hollow forever thanks to Constable Ichabod Crane returning his missing head. Everything was finally at peace and Ichabod and his beloved, Katrina Van Tassel, were living together in New York with their servant young Masbeth.

Ichabod loved Katrina more than anything in the world; they've been through so much together and now he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.


	2. The Proposal

It was All Hallows Eve night and Ichabod and Katrina had decided to throw a party. There was music, food, games, and dancing; everyone was having a marvelous time. Katrina and Ichabod were dancing together, although Ichabod was a tad halfhearted in his movements. Katrina had noticed he seemed rather preoccupied of late.

"Ichabod, is everything okay?" She asked.

"Of course." Ichabod smiled. "How could anything _not_ be okay, especially when I have someone as wonderful as you in my life?"

The answer briefly mollified Katrina, though she was getting the sense that Ichabod was waiting for something. He kept glancing over to the small cabinet by the front door, which was standing next to everyone's coats, jackets, or cloaks, a short space away. As the party started to wind down, Ichabod made his move. He went over to the door, reached into the cabinet drawer, and pulled something out, tucking it under his coat. He then walked back over to Katrina.

"Ichabod…? What's going on?" Katrina asked.

"Katrina, our time together has been the best time of my life." Ichabod declared. "And I never want it to cease."

"Alright…" Katrina replied, unnerved by the sheer seriousness of the look on Ichabod's face.

"I can think of only one thing that would make me happier." Ichabod declared. "And that's just one little answer from you."

Ichabod extracted a small velvet box from his coat. Everyone there froze in surprise. Nobody was more surprised than Miss Van Tassel herself. She was staring at the box like she didn't even believe it was there.

"Katrina Van Tassel." Ichabod opened the box, revealing a beautiful ring, a single diamond set into the gold band. He kneeled down on one knee, proffering up the ring. "Will you marry me?"

"I-I-I-I-I…" Katrina stuttered, tears of shock and joy starting to fall from her eyes and stream down her face. "Yes… Yes, yes, yes! Of course I will!"

Ichabod smiled as he took the ring out of its box and carefully slipped it onto Katrina's finger. He stood straight before Katrina smiled and passionately pressed her lips against his. Everyone at the party clapped their hands and cheered for them.

A few days after the party, the planning of Ichabod and Katrina's wedding immediately took place. It was certainly a lot to do, but it was nothing the great Ichabod Crane couldn't handle. Eventually, after a few months of hard work and careful planning, everything was ready.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The night before the wedding; Ichabod almost couldn't believe that he was getting married to the woman of his dreams in the morning. Unable to fall asleep, he decided to go downstairs to get himself a drink of water. As he was about to take a sip, he was suddenly startled by young Masbeth enter the room and Ichabod nearly dropped his glass.

"Sir?" Masbeth asked. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Oh! I'm… sorry, young Masbeth." Ichabod stuttered, regaining his composure and setting his cup down. "I couldn't sleep."

"Any reason why?" Masbeth asked.

"Perhaps…"

"Is it about tomorrow?"

"Yes… it… it's the wedding." Ichabod explained. "I'm terrified…"

"Oh. Forgive me for this sir, but… you're terrified of almost everything."

"Not _everything_. It's just… this is such a big step for Katrina and myself and… and I don't know if…"

"Sir, from what I heard, _everyone_ usually gets nervous just before something like this happens in their lives, _especially_ their wedding. But don't worry; you and Miss Katrina have been through so much together, I'm certain you can handle a wedding… and the time that follows."

Ichabod thought about what his young servant just told him; true, he and Katrina had solved mysteries, fought against the forces of the supernatural and dark magic, and they even defeated the vengeful spirit of a Headless mercenary… all without a scratch, so if they could handle all of that, they could handle _anything_ that came their way. Ichabod looked back at young Masbeth and gave him a smile.

"You're right, young Masbeth." He said, letting out a sigh. "Thank you for talking some sense into me. I needed it."

"You're welcome, sir." Masbeth replied, smiling back.


	3. The Wedding Day

The next morning, both Ichabod and Katrina were as excited and as nervous as could be; it was the day of their wedding. The day itself seemed perfect; it was the beginning of spring and there were only a few white clouds and no rain. Ichabod stood tall at the altar of the New York chapel, nervously waiting for his bride's arrival; Masbeth was standing beside him and the burgomaster was reluctantly presiding over the ceremony.

Finally, the music started and the ceremony was about to begin. Katrina entered the chapel in her gorgeous new dress, a bouquet of flowers held in her hands; Ichabod gaped at the vision of beauty that had just arrived. Katrina climbed the steps, standing practically nose to nose with Ichabod. After exchanging a loving look, they turned to face the elder burgomaster.

"Dearly beloved, ladies and gentlemen…" The burgomaster declared. "We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. These two standing before you have shown that their love can withstand anything, even in the face of doubt, mortal danger… or even certain _death_."

Katrina and Ichabod smiled and winked at each other.

"Do you, Ichabod Crane, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" The burgomaster recited, facing the constable.

"I do." Ichabod nodded.

"And do you, Katrina Van Tassel, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" The burgomaster recited, facing the young bride.

"I do." Katrina blushed.

Young Masbeth brought forth the rings, resting on a velvet pillow and the couple each took one ring. Katrina placing one ring onto Ichabod's finger and Ichabod slipping the other onto Katrina's finger.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." The burgomaster declared. "You may now kiss the bride."

The couple embraced in a long, sweet kiss as the crowd cheered loudly. Ichabod and Katrina led the assembled group of people out of the chapel and out to the town square, where the reception began.

As was the custom, Ichabod and Katrina made the first cut of the wedding cake. They fed each other the first two slices, getting a fair amount of frosting on their faces, to everyone's amusement.

After the cake came the dancing. As the music played and the lights flared, Ichabod spun and dipped his new bride, before pulling her in close.

"Perfect…" Ichabod whispered.

"What's perfect?" Katrina asked.

"Everything…"

All too soon, the celebrations wound down. Ichabod and Katrina headed for the carriage that would take them to their honeymoon destination, Boston Massachusetts. Before climbing into the carriage, Katrina closed her eyes and hurled her bouquet over her head and into the air. A large fraction of women were screaming and fighting to grab the bouquet, but they were at a loss since a young lady with short brown hair and green eyes caught it. The woman smiled at the bride before she and her groom climbed into their waiting carriage.

"Congratulations, sir, ma'am. Have a great time on your honeymoon." Masbeth said as he approached the newlyweds with a big grin on his face.

"Thank you, young Masbeth." Ichabod said with a warm smile.

"Yes, thank you very much." Katrina beamed before giving the boy a quick hug.

And with that, the door closed and the couple rode off with the guests waving goodbye before the carriage vanished from view.

In the carriage, Katrina was nuzzling against Ichabod as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. Ichabod smiled as his eyes slowly shut; this was the best day ever.

After the honeymoon, Ichabod and Katrina were finally back home and they were warmly greeted by young Masbeth who patiently waited for them to return. But after one short year, things were about to change for the couple.


	4. Katrina's Sickness

One cloudy morning, Katrina was kneeling on her hands and knees on the floor in front of the chamber pot in the small powder room near her and Ichabod's bedroom and heaving the contents of her stomach into said pot; her stomach beginning to ache from the force of her vomiting. She gasped and panted heavily as it finally stopped.

Katrina slumped over to rest her back on the far wall, trying to figure out what was wrong with her; she couldn't remember the last time she felt so miserable. She had been like this for two straight weeks now and she had no idea why. She closed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair as she took a few shaky breaths.

'God, what is wrong with me…?' She asked herself.

A light knock at the door snapped Katrina back to reality and told her that she was late for breakfast.

"Katrina, ma'am?" A muffled voice said through the door, most likely young Masbeth. "Master Crane wants to know if you'll be coming down to breakfast soon."

"Oh… Yes, of course, young Masbeth. I… I'll be down in a few moments." Katrina said, grabbing a wash cloth and wiping her mouth with it.

At that moment, Katrina wasn't feeling really hungry; in fact, the very idea of food right this minute was making her sick all over again, but she knew she had to eat something. She had been throwing up all morning and by now, her stomach was completely empty. Furthermore, she didn't want to worry Ichabod; she knew how he can get when he's _extremely_ worried.

She quickly got herself dressed and hurriedly went downstairs to meet with her husband. As she entered the dining room, she was met with the worried looks of Ichabod Crane and young Masbeth. Katrina knew she didn't feel well, but she didn't think she looked _that_ bad.

Her golden blonde hair was a mess and her previous vomiting episodes caused her to lose a few unnecessary pounds. She also had large dark circles under her eyes as if she hadn't had a goodnight's sleep in weeks.

"Ma'am?" Masbeth asked as Katrina sat down at the table.

"Katrina? Are you alright?" Ichabod asked in a concerned tone as he sat across from his wife.

"I'm fine, Ichabod." She replied.

"Are you… certain about that, dear? Please don't take offense, but… you look _awful_." He said.

Katrina smiled weakly at her husband as she said, "I… must admit, I don't feel quite like myself this morning."

Ichabod raised his hand up to Katrina's forehead and chest to see if she was warm, but she wasn't.

"No fever. I wonder what could be the matter…" He said to himself.

'You and me both.' Katrina thought.

"Perhaps you should see a doctor, ma'am." Masbeth offered as he placed bowls of hot oatmeal in front of the couple.

"Hmmm…?" Katrina asked innocently.

"I believe he's right, Katrina. For all we know, this could be something serious. You're not helping anyone, especially yourself, by doing nothing." Ichabod explained before dipping his spoon into his breakfast and taking a bite.

Katrina pondered about what her husband said before frowning down at the steamy contents of the bowl in front of her. Usually, she'd be more than happy to eat oatmeal for breakfast since it's one of her favorite things to eat in the morning. This morning, however, she didn't feel like eating anything at all. She dipped her spoon into her bowl and lifted the spoon along with its contents up to her lips when her stomach lurched and an enormous wave of nausea overtook her. She instantly dropped her spoon and hurried out of the dining room before she could continue to make a fool of herself.

'Maybe Ichabod and Masbeth are right. Perhaps I _should_ visit a doctor.' She thought as she stood in the hallway.

Yes, a doctor's visit sounded like a _great_ idea.

Later that afternoon, Ichabod had taken Katrina to see the finest doctor in New York City – at least the finest doctor that he knew. When they arrived, Katrina looked up at the sign that was hanging above the door; it read: "Arthur Richard Graham, Physician". The Constable knocked on the door before a male voice called,

"Come in."

The door opened and Ichabod and Katrina walked in to meet the friendly gaze of the elderly but well-experienced Dr. Arthur Graham himself.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Constable Ichabod Crane. It's good to see you again, my boy." The doctor said cheerfully as he shook Ichabod's hand.

"It's good to see you too, Doctor." Ichabod replied with a smile.

Ichabod had always trusted Dr. Graham and his techniques ever since he was a boy; whenever he had severely injured himself or had grown sick, Dr. Graham would come right away and he would fix him and cheer him right up.

"Oh! And who's this?" Dr. Graham asked, turning his attention to Katrina.

"Dr. Graham, this is my wife, Katrina." Ichabod introduced.

"Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Dr. Graham said.

"The pleasure is all mine, Doctor." Katrina replied.

"Now, what brings you two here on this fine day?" The doctor asked.

"Well, my wife has been feeling rather peculiar as of late and we haven't the vaguest idea why." Ichabod explained.

"I see. Mrs. Crane?"

"Just Katrina would be fine."

"Of course. Tell me about your symptoms, Katrina."

"Well… I've been feeling very tired lately. I'm finding rather difficult to stay awake at times, especially during the day. I've also been having trouble keeping food down. I've lost my appetite and I've also lost a bit of weight because of it."

"Hmmm, interesting. You also seem to be sweating a lot."

"That would be from the vomiting."

"Is that all?"

"Actually, no. There's more. I've been very moody as well; I find it difficult to control my temper at times as well as constant headaches and a strange pain in my chest."

"Hmmm… I see. I believe I know what's wrong, but I need more some data to confirm. Constable, could you step outside for just a moment please?"

"Why?" Ichabod asked worriedly.

"I'd like to give your wife a quick check up, just in case. You don't mind, do you?"

Both Ichabod and Katrina looked at each other before looking back at the doctor and shaking their heads 'no' in response. Ichabod went back outside and sat down on the stair as the door closed behind him. He waited for thirty-five minutes until Dr. Graham told him he could come in again. When he went back inside, he was surprised to see Katrina in tears. He silently gasped and wrapped his arm around her to comfort her before she buried her face into his chest.

"Well…?" Ichabod asked the Doctor. "What's wrong?"

"No… Nothing is wrong, Ichabod." Katrina replied, looking up at her husband with a big smile on her face. "I'm just… very happy."

"H-h-h-happy?" Ichabod asked before looking at the doctor.

"I'm excited to say that your wife isn't ill at all, Constable Crane." Dr. Graham said with a big smile on his face.

"She's not? Then what…?"

"Ichabod… I'm _pregnant_." Katrina finished happily.

The words entered his ears, swam through his mind, and pierced his heart. Ichabod looked at Katrina, then back at the doctor with his eyes as big as teacup saucers and his face turning as white as snow.

"P-p-p-p-p-p-pregnant?" Ichabod repeated before his body suddenly felt limp and everything went black.


	5. It Begins

Consciousness slowly returned to Ichabod. His deep brown eyes fluttered open and he took in his current surroundings. He was still at Dr. Graham's office, but he was lying on the floor for some strange reason. He turned his head to the side to see Katrina kneeling over him and holding his head in her hands.

"Ichabod, are you alright?" She asked.

"Katrina? How long have I…?" Ichabod asked, sitting up and looking at his wife.

"Not long; forty-five minutes to an hour at most." Katrina answered casually.

"Oh… But what happened?" Ichabod asked again before standing up.

"Your wife is expecting. Congratulations, Constable." Dr. Graham said with a smile.

Ichabod's eyes widened again before remembering the events that just occurred before he fainted; he remembered hearing Katrina telling him that she was with child. He looked at his wife who had a bright smile on her face as she said to him,

"It's true, Ichabod. You're going to be a father."

Ichabod blinked a few times, a look of shock and disbelief stamped on his face. After a long moment of silence, Ichabod wrapped his arms around Katrina and spun her around the room before bursting into laughter.

"Katrina, this is wonderful!" He cheered.

"You're… truly _excited_ about this?" Katrina asked, almost bewildered at her husband's reaction.

"You're joking. How could I _not_ be excited?" Ichabod asked, hugging his wife tighter.

"Well, I'm glad you are!" She giggled, wrapping her arms around her husband's chest and laughing along with him.

It was true; Ichabod couldn't be more excited that he was going to become a father, but he was also rather nervous about parenthood. What if he wasn't ready to be a father? What if the baby didn't love him? What if he didn't love the child? What if something bad happened to the baby? There were so many questions whirling around in his mind at the moment that he almost forgot that Katrina was right there with him. He looked down at her and smiled after the two of them finally calmed down; Ichabod's dark eyes glanced down at Katrina's stomach and he smiled.

"So… what did the doctor say?" Young Masbeth asked when Ichabod and Katrina made it home.

"Dr. Graham has given us rather _marvelous_ news, young Masbeth." Ichabod replied.

"Sir?" Masbeth asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"You may want to sit down for this." Katrina told the boy before ushering him towards the sofa.

"What's going on?" Masbeth asked worriedly before sitting down.

Ichabod and Katrina smiled before facing Masbeth and declaring, "We're having a baby."

Masbeth stared at the excited couple with shock before saying, "Really?"

They nodded their heads in response. Masbeth stood from the sofa and smiled at the couple before wrapping his arms around both of them in a hug. Katrina and Ichabod had been married for a year now and they thought they were more than ready to start a family of their own and now all they had to do was wait.

Shortly after the announcement of his wife's current condition, Ichabod had decided to do as much research as he could on the subject; he knew nothing of pregnancies _or_ children and he felt like he practically needed all the help he could get at this point.

Taking a deep breath, he began planning. At his desk, he opened one of his notebooks and wrote on the top of the blank page "Pregnancy Chart". If he remembered correctly, an average pregnancy would last about nine months. He conceived the baby around early December, roughly two weeks ago. He scribbled down the months December to August of next year. As he continued to write, he heard a familiar voice ask,

"What are you doing?"

Ichabod practically jumped out of his chair before seeing Katrina standing in the doorway and giving him a smile. He calmed down and sat in his chair again.

"Nothing, dear. I'm just trying to…" Ichabod said before Katrina interrupted him.

"Are you planning _my_ pregnancy?" She asked, teasingly raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe…" He replied, his eyes glancing away from her. "One cannot be too careful."

Katrina giggled under her breath and smiled before walking towards her husband and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Ichabod, you don't have to do this." She said, glancing down at the chart he had drawn up. "Although I appreciate the effort, there's really no need."

"Yes, there is, Katrina." Ichabod tried to argue. "I know nothing of this sort of thing and your current… condition, as unpredictable as it is, we need all the knowledge we could get our hands on. And… and I just don't want you to get hurt if we do anything wrong."

"I understand, but it's not like I'll be doing any heavy lifting or anything. We should let the pregnancy normally progress, just like Dr. Graham had instructed… But if it makes you feel better, you can still make your chart."

Ichabod chuckled, stood from his desk, and gave his wife a kiss before placing his hand on her stomach. Katrina put her hand on his and smiled at him in response.

After that, Katrina's pregnancy wore on. She had a little trouble coping with the morning sickness; she vomited a few times almost every day and she almost didn't want to eat anything because she figured she would just throw it back up again, but she also know that it was crucial for her to eat. She was also very tired during the day and often took naps. A few months passed and the morning sickness had faded completely… much to Katrina's relief.


	6. Feeling the Baby

More months had passed. Katrina was resting peacefully on the sofa near the fireplace, one hand loosely grasping a book at her side and the other hand lying gently on top of her now slightly swollen belly. Her breathing was soft, calm, and even as she slept with a small smile on her face.

She looked so peaceful that Ichabod didn't want to disturb her. Being as quiet as he could so as not to wake her, he carefully approached his wife. Holding his breath, the Constable knelt down and grabbed the book from the young woman's hand as gently and as slowly as he could. He froze when he saw Katrina slightly stir in her sleep, before settling back down and continuing her rhythmic breathing. Ichabod sighed inward in relief and continued to pry the book from her fingers. Ichabod quietly let out a breath he had been holding in; the last thing he wanted to do was wake up his pregnant wife.

He looked at the cover of the book Katrina was reading and smirked; he recognized it was the book of classic fairy tales she would often read to herself. Thumbing through the pages, Ichabod raised an eyebrow when he landed on a section that was bookmarked; it was the story of Rapunzel, Katrina's very favorite. Young Masbeth quietly entered the room as he saw his master skim the first page of the story.

"Sir?" Masbeth quietly asked.

Ichabod almost cried out in surprise, being careful not to make a sound. He turned his head around to give Masbeth a rather irritated glare.

"Sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." Masbeth said in a hushed tone.

"Please, young Masbeth; do _not_ sneak up on me." Ichabod angrily whispered before he heard a soft sigh from Katrina.

Ichabod and Masbeth each took a small step back, hoping she would continue to sleep. He almost _didn't_ want her to wake up because when she does, there was no telling what type of mood she would be in. There were times when Katrina was beaming with joy after waking up from one of her naps, being as sweet and kind to Ichabod and Masbeth as ever. Other times, she would wake up sobbing for some bizarre reason, spending most of her day absolutely miserable. And then there were times when she awoke in an absolutely rotten mood and anything and _everything_ would make her angry. Ichabod hated and feared that the most.

'Just a few more moments of peace, please.' Ichabod begged in his mind.

'Please stay asleep, please stay asleep, please stay asleep…' Masbeth pleaded.

However, it wasn't meant to be as the young woman softly yawned and stretched. Ichabod grimaced a little in fright and Masbeth let out a frustrated groan to himself Katrina began to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

"What time is it?" She asked, another yawn bubbling in the back of her throat.

"Two hours until supper, ma'am." Masbeth said.

Katrina smiled and her eyes lit up at the mention of food. She tried her best to sit up, placing her hand on her stomach.

"Wonderful." She said happily.

Ichabod and Masbeth both relaxed; she was in a good mood. Katrina stretched and sat up straighter. Suddenly, just as she was about to stand up, Katrina stopped mid-way and her eyes widened in surprise as she let out a tiny gasp.

"Katrina? W-what's wrong?" Ichabod asked worriedly.

"I… I felt…" Katrina looked into the concerned eyes of her husband and gave him a reassuring smile. "Quick, give me your hands."

Ichabod raised an eyebrow at her in confusion; Katrina sighed in slight annoyance as she grabbed her husband's hand and placed it on top of her stomach.

"Katrina, what are you doing—" Ichabod started before being interrupted.

"Just wait…" Katrina instructed in an excited whisper.

The two sat like that for a few moments of silence until Ichabod felt something underneath his hand. His eyes widened and he almost gasped in response. He looked at Katrina who was staring back him with a thrilled expression on her face.

"That's the baby…" She giggled.

A small nervous laugh escaped from the Constable's throat as a tiny smile slowly crept onto his lips. It was at that moment that a certain reality finally hit Ichabod: Katrina was really, incredibly, carrying a real living thing inside of her. For some reason, he hadn't quite appreciated that until now. It was… really quite something.

"Amazing…" He said, placing his other hand on his wife's stomach to see if he could feel the movement again; he smiled even bigger than before as the baby kicked once again.

Ichabod pulled his wife closer to him and kissed her forehead before she rested her head on his chest and placed her hand on his. Masbeth smiled a tiny smile and quietly headed out of the room to give the couple some privacy.

"Now, shall we go see about supper?" Katrina asked as she fully stood up.

"I suppose we shall." Ichabod said as he and his wife left the room, arm in arm.


	7. Deciding on a Name

One cool evening, Ichabod and Katrina were sitting on a stone bench in the small yard outside their house and gazing at the sunset together.

"Breathtaking…" Ichabod lamented.

"Indeed." Katrina said, resting her head on her husband's shoulder and smiling.

"Although, I've been led to believe that the sunsets back in Sleepy Hollow would be _far_ lovelier than this."

"Actually, no. Most of the weather in Sleepy Hollow usually consisted of dark, gray days with the sky covered with clouds and sometimes a bit of rain… especially in autumn or spring."

"Speaking of Sleepy Hollow, I'm glad our child isn't going to grow up living in fear of a Headless Horseman invading."

"You and me both…"

The two sat in silence until Ichabod let out a small sigh. Katrina looked up at her husband.

"Ichabod? What's wrong?" She asked.

"Hmm? Oh nothing, Katrina." Ichabod replied. "I was just… thinking about my mother again. It's just such a shame that our baby will never know her."

"Oh…" Katrina said, nodding her head. "I know how you feel. I'm sad our child will never know any of its grandparents."

Ichabod wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder and she smiled at him. After another few moments of silence, a thought suddenly popped into Katrina's head; she sat straight and looked back up at her husband.

"Ichabod? Which are you hoping for?" She asked.

Ichabod sat up straight and looked over at her, pausing for a moment. In thinking about it, he couldn't believe that they hadn't discussed this yet.

"What do you mean?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Which are you expecting the baby to be; a boy or a girl?" She asked.

"Oh, well… I'll be happy either way." Ichabod replied simply. "It doesn't really matter to me. What about you?"

"I… believe it doesn't matter to me either." Katrina said, slowly nodding her head before thinking of something else. "Speaking of which, what are we going to name the baby?"

"Name it? Well… I don't know."

"Perhaps for now, we can pick out two names; one if it's a girl and one if it's a boy. How about that?" Katrina suggested.

"Hmmm… Good idea." Ichabod chuckled, nodding his head.

The two sat there in silence for a few long moments, thinking of fitting names to call their baby. Then Ichabod came up with one.

"Very well. What about Jonathon or Charles?" He asked.

"No, I think not." Katrina said. "They both sound a little too formal for my tastes. And besides, I want our baby's name to be unique, something different, something special…"

"Like what?"

"I've got it! How about Wilhelm?"

"Wilhelm? After one the Brothers Grimm?"

"Why not? I've always liked that name anyway. And it isn't very common around here so…"

Ichabod was about to argue before he thought about how nice the name Wilhelm actually sounded. He smiled at Katrina before saying,

"You know, that's not half bad. Wilhelm Crane… I like it."

Katrina smiled widely at his response as he placed his hand on her stomach.

"What about girl's names?" He asked.

"Oh, right… Any ideas?" Katrina said.

"How about Catherine?" Ichabod asked.

"Um… no, I don't think so. I've never really like that name… _and_ it sounds a little too much like _my_ name. Sorry."

"It's alright. Do _you_ have any suggestions?"

"Victoria?"

"No, too common."

"Amelia?"

"Ugh, no."

"Madeline?"

"Sorry, but no; there are still more options. Let me think… Oh! I know. How about Josephine? I've always found it a pretty name."

"It _is_ pretty. Josephine Crane… I like it."

"Then it's settled; Josephine for a girl and Wilhelm for a boy."

Katrina smiled widely as Ichabod smiled back at her. The decisions were sealed with a gentle, quick kiss.

"I love you." Ichabod whispered, giving his wife's belly a pat.

Then he looked down at his hand, still resting on Katrina's stomach.

"I love you both…" He amended.


	8. The Birth (The End)

It was now Katrina's ninth and final month of her pregnancy. Her due date was just around the corner, at the end of the week. She and Ichabod had finished painting the nursery, bought all of the supplies, and called in the midwife to stay. All they had to do was prepare Katrina for the birthing process. The midwife, Louise Bennett, came in and talked to Katrina about what was to happen. Ichabod was abruptly shut out of the room because birth talk was strictly for women. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what would happen anyway; he decided that he already learned enough about the female anatomy from books and he didn't want to find out any more so he headed downstairs.

It was 6:00, a stormy Saturday evening; Ichabod and Katrina were sitting by the fireplace, glad that they were inside on the dreadful day. Katrina was reading from her fairy tale book when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She grimaced as she leaned forward and held her stomach with both hands; Ichabod looked up from what he was reading and silently gasped as he saw his wife's face contort.

"Katrina? Are you alright?" Ichabod asked worriedly.

"Oh!" Katrina exclaimed.

Ichabod's heart almost stopped. He jumped up from his armchair and dropped his book, only faintly hearing the clatter it made as it fell to the floor. Almost in a single leap he was crouching next to the sofa, looking into Katrina's face.

"What is it? Katrina, what's wrong?" He asked, reaching out and laying a hand on her shoulder.

She was trembling, her eyes shut tight. Scarcely breathing, Ichabod waited for Katrina to answer. She opened her eyes after a long moment, and turned slowly to meet his worried gaze.

"That hurt." She said breathlessly, sounding almost surprised. "That _really_ hurt."

"Is it… I mean… Is it really… _that_ time?" Ichabod asked.

Katrina nodded. "I… I think so…"

Ichabod's eyes widened; he remembered they were fully prepared for this.

"Alright, don't panic; everything's going to be fine." He said in a rather wild tone, jumping up. "You stay here, I'll get—"

"Sir?" Young Masbeth asked as he entered the parlor.

Ichabod looked and sighed in relief as he went over to the boy.

"Masbeth, I need you to help Katrina and go fetch Louise at once while _I_ go to town and get Dr. Graham." He ordered.

"Yes, sir." Masbeth said before Ichabod rushed towards the front door. "But, wait! Sir, what about the—?"

Before Masbeth could finish his sentence however, Ichabod ran out the door and down the road into town towards Dr. Graham's office. The misty rain was making everything slick and muddy as well as difficult to navigate through; Ichabod was probably getting mud all over his boots, coat, and trousers, but at the moment he couldn't care less. Ignoring the rain, slippery mud, and occasional lightning strikes around him, he finally made it to Dr. Graham's office. He frantically pounded his fist on the door for a few seconds before the doctor finally answered.

"Constable Crane? What on Earth are you doing out here in the middle of this awful storm?" He asked. "You're soaked to the bone, lad!"

"Never mind that." Ichabod gasped for breath as he started to shiver in the rain. "Dr. Graham, I-I need you to come home with me right this minute."

"What's the matter, my boy?"

"It's my wife, Katrina. I believe she's about to have our baby, _now_. So it's ever so urgent that you come back to my house with me at once."

"Oh! Of course, Constable… Wait, where's your carriage?"

"I didn't bring one. I… ran all the way here."

"Oh… Well, _that_ certainly explains a lot. Would you like to ride with me in _my_ carriage on the way there?"

Ichabod was reluctant at first, but he remembered Katrina. So he nodded his head 'yes' before the doctor grabbed his bag of equipment and led the Constable out to the back where his carriage was. A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties was preparing two horses before the doctor and Ichabod approached him.

"Timothy, this is Constable Ichabod Crane. I need you to take us to his house as soon as possible. Can you do that?" Dr. Graham told his carriage driver.

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir." Timothy said before climbing onto the driver's seat on top of the carriage. "Hop in."

Ichabod and Dr. Graham quickly climbed in before the carriage drove off back to Ichabod's house. Back at the house, Katrina was lying in bed with beads of sweat running down her face and neck and a few tears streaming down her cheeks. Louise was standing at her side and young Masbeth standing at the foot of the bed when Dr. Graham and Ichabod entered the room.

"Ichabod…?" Katrina asked in a shaky voice.

"Is Katrina alright?" Ichabod asked Louise.

"Do not worry, Constable." Louise replied. "Your wife is just fine."

"Good. Thank you, Louise." Ichabod sighed. "Now I understand you have done this many times before, but I—"

"It's alright, Constable. I don't mind; if you _and_ your wife trust Dr. Graham, then so do I." Louise said. "Now I'm afraid you _and_ your servant will have to leave so you can give Katrina some more space."

"Of course. Come, young Masbeth." Ichabod said.

"Yes, sir." Masbeth said before he and Ichabod exited the room.

"I certainly hope you know what to do." The Constable said.

"Of course, sir. Just leave it to us. Everything will be fine, you'll see." Dr. Graham said before Ichabod nodded and looked back at Katrina.

"I love you Katrina." He whispered.

"I love you, too." She whispered before her husband quietly closed the door.

Downstairs, Ichabod was sitting on the floor in front of the blazing fireplace in an attempt to dry himself off and keep warm at the same time and Masbeth was casually sitting on the sofa rubbing his arms with his hands. As minutes bled into hours, the two of them sat in the parlor in almost dead silence, minus the crackling of the fire, for what seemed like an eternity. After an hour of staring at the dying fire, Ichabod began to worry. He soon began to pace the floor as if in a fear-induced trance, constantly thinking of what Katrina is going through right now and what could possibly go wrong; Masbeth watching his master nervously pace all the while.

"Sir?" Masbeth asked. "Forgive me for saying this, but would you mind giving the pacing a rest? At this rate, you might a hole into the floor if you keep it up. No offense or anything, but you're making me dizzy."

"Well pardon me if I am concerned for my wife's health… as well as my child's wellbeing." Ichabod snapped before fading back into his previous mindset.

"Sorry…" Masbeth said.

'What if Katrina doesn't make it? What if the baby doesn't survive? What if something goes horribly wrong? What if Dr. Graham or Matilda can't do anything?' He rambled in his head.

By now, Ichabod ran his hands through his hair and his eyes grew wide with terror as he continued to pace, only much more frantically this time. Young Masbeth stood from the sofa and put a gentle hand on the Constable's shoulder. Ichabod finally stopped pacing the floor and looked at the boy as a few tears started to leak from his eyes.

"Sir, calm down." Masbeth said.

"Calm down? Calm down?! How can I _possibly_ calm down at a time like this, young Masbeth?!" Ichabod screamed, more tears streaming down his cheeks. "Right now, Katrina is probably experiencing the _worst_ pain of her life! What if something goes wrong? Maybe I should go back upstairs, just to—"

"No! You know we're not allowed up there, sir. You trust Dr. Graham, don't you? _And_ Miss Louise?" Masbeth asked.

"Well, I… Yes. Yes, of course I trust them. But you know how unpredictable this sort of thing can be. Perhaps I should just—"

"—Let them do their jobs. Both Louise _and_ the doctor have done this sort of thing before, haven't they?"

"Well… yes. Many times, I'm sure."

"Then stop overreacting. They know what they're doing, don't they? So please; do not overexcite yourself, sir."

Ichabod was about to open his mouth to argue before pondering about what the boy just said; maybe he wasn't worried about something going wrong. Maybe he was just worried about actually becoming a father. He had no idea how to raise a child and he still wasn't sure if he was cut out for the job; but then he remembered how excited he was when Katrina told him. He realized that he truly wanted to have a family of his own. Ichabod finally calmed down and went to sit in his armchair before letting out a deep sigh.

"You're right, young Masbeth. I'm sorry. Maybe I'm overreacting about this whole thing." He said in defeat.

Masbeth nodded his head and smiled. Ichabod was just about to shut his eyes for a quick nap when he suddenly heard a bloodcurdling female scream come from upstairs followed by a tiny yet loud cry. He and Masbeth jolted to their feet as the wailing continued on; it sounded high-pitched and loud. Ichabod nearly fainted in shock when he put two and two together; it dawned on him that the baby had arrived. He looked at young Masbeth with wide eyes; he was now officially a father.

With an excited smile, he ran out of the parlor and practically bounded up the stairs. He was halfway up when he was suddenly greeted by Dr. Graham and Louise going halfway down; blood stained their hands and clothes, Ichabod's eyes widened in terror at the sight.

"Well…?" The Constable asked, glancing up at the stairs.

"Don't worry, Constable." Dr. Graham said reassuringly. "Katrina has come through swimmingly and she's going to be fine."

Ichabod let out a sigh of relief before asking, "And… the baby?"

"… Is a boy." The doctor answered.

Ichabod's eyes widened again; he almost couldn't believe what he just heard.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked.

"The baby is a perfect, healthy little boy." Louise said with a smile.

"I… have a son?" Ichabod was speechless for a moment or two.

Dr. Graham and Louise nodded in unison before she said, "Congratulations, Constable Crane."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you both so very much for all of your help." Ichabod said, vigorously shaking Dr. Graham's hand and giving Matilda a quick hug.

"You're most welcome, sir." The doctor said with a soft chuckle.

"Of course. But your wife is terribly exhausted right now and she needs to rest. Let her sleep for a few hours and then you may go up and see her, alright?" Louise said.

Ichabod reluctantly nodded his head and let the two pass through to wash themselves off. He calmly walked back downstairs to the parlor to meet the anxious gaze of young Masbeth.

"Well?" The boy asked, sitting on the edge of the sofa.

"I have a son, young Masbeth. And both Katrina and the baby are perfectly fine. Now they are just resting."

Ichabod smiled a large excited grin and collapsed into his armchair once again before letting out a deep sigh of relief and closing his eyes.

"Congratulations, sir." Masbeth said with a proud smile.

Four to five hours had already passed. Dr. Graham had already left and Louise told Ichabod that he was finally allowed to see his wife. Ichabod thanked Louise for everything she had done with a hug, which caught her by surprise and slightly off-guard. She returned the gesture with an amused laugh and went to sit down with young Masbeth. Ichabod ran upstairs, gently knocked on the bedroom door, and went inside.

By now, the storm from before had completely stopped and the window was open to let some fresh air into the room. The full moon shining through the open window lit up the room and it cast a pale glow around everything. Ichabod walked over to the bed and saw an exhausted-looking Katrina sitting up in bed and holding a small bundle in her arms. She looked at her husband and flashed a tired smile.

"Hello, Ichabod. Come and meet Wilhelm." Katrina whispered.

Ichabod had to blink a few times to hold himself together. After taking a deep breath, he walked over to the bed and took a seat on the edge.

"Oh, Katrina…" He said, reaching out to stroke her hair. "Are you all right?"

"We both are." She replied, smiling down at the baby.

For a long while neither of them said a word; it didn't really seem necessary to say anything. All Ichabod could think about was how, after all this time, there they were; a family. He and Katrina actually had a family. From now on, it wasn't just Ichabod and Katrina, but Ichabod, Katrina, and now _Wilhelm_. He couldn't help wanting to try the name out, now that there was a little person to connect it to.

"Hello, Wilhelm…" He said softly, reaching out a tentative hand.

As gently and carefully as he could, he ran his hand over the baby's head. At his touch, he woke up a little, fidgeting about with his eyes screwed up tight. Ichabod began to cry; he almost couldn't believe that his wife had been carrying this inside of her for nine months. He realized now just how much this child meant to him. It wasn't just a baby; it was his will to live, his reason for waking up every morning. He leaned down and gave his infant son a kiss, and then pressed his lips against Katrina's.

"Isn't he beautiful?" She asked.

"Yes, he is…" He replied, tears falling from his face in joy. "Our son…"

Turning toward him, Katrina said, "Ichabod, I'm so happy."

"I am too." He replied with a proud smile.

"Wilhelm Thomas Crane…" She said before she began to cry with joy. "What do you think?"

"It's perfect… _he_ is perfect." Ichabod lamented, tears were starting to fall from his eyes.

"I love you, Ichabod."

"I love you, too."

Katrina and Ichabod shared another kiss. It was a lovely little moment, a memory that Ichabod would keep with him for the rest of his life; he smiled at his wife and son. As of this moment, he and Katrina were the luckiest people alive, and they truly couldn't be any happier. A great new chapter in their lives had just begun and they were _more_ than prepared for it.


End file.
